Economic sentiment in Cyprus improves in March
– Economic sentiment in Cyprus improved marginally in April, with the Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI) increasing by 0.8 points compared to March 2024.
– The rise in the ESI was driven by strengthening business sentiment across all sectors, with the largest increases occurring in the manufacturing and construction sectors.
– Services sentiment improved marginally in April, driven by more optimistic estimates of turnover in the next quarter.
– Retail trade sector sentiment rose slightly, supported by more favorable assessments of current inventory levels and improved expectations for the next quarter’s sales.
– Construction sector sentiment strengthened due to more favorable assessments of ongoing projects and optimistic estimates of number of employees.
– Manufacturing sector sentiment improved due to better assessments of current order levels, finished goods inventories, and expectations for production in the next quarter.
– Consumer sentiment declined in April as consumers appeared more pessimistic about the future economic situation of their households and the country in general compared to March.
– Economic Policy Uncertainty (EPU) index increased marginally in April, with greater uncertainty among businesses in the services and retail sectors.
– Sales price expectations in retail trade moved upward, and consumer price expectations were revised upward, reaching their highest point in six months.
